Author Fighters: Wrath of the Emperor
by Lion's Edge
Summary: Five thousand years after his Kingdom fell, an Emperor of Chaos has returned. His armies long dead, he searches for the one whose energy pools are large enough to resurrect enough of the dead to finish his conquest. However, two threats stand in his way: the Author Fighters and their allies, and the one he is trying to capture... the mysterious rogue Mana-Caster, Lion's Edge.
1. I: A War of Two Brothers

**Author Fighters: Wrath of the Emperor  
****Chapter I: The War of Two Brothers**

_The Kingdom of Mana. Long lost to the rest of the world after its destruction and the loss of millennia of culture to the abyss of time, the Kingdom had once been the center of a system far more advanced than others for its age: a system of heroes, chosen by the Manastream, the source of all the kingdom's life-force and magic known as 'Mana Energy', for their spirit and power, to protect the Realm of Light from falling into oblivion in the aftermath of the ancient Keyblade War. For thousands of years, the Kingdom of Mana's chosen warriors, the Imperial Sorcerers, fought and strove to protect the worlds whilst maintaining world order whilst trading their secrets and enlightening themselves through studying other cultures, implementing their teachings into their own._

_However, just over five thousand years ago, command of the Kingdom was usurped by one corrupted by the darker sides of Mana; forbidden magic locked away in the earliest days notorious for corrupting and destroying those inflicted with it. This tyrant king, known by the people as 'Azazel', forced his fierce regime onto the people; expanding the Kingdom's armies ten-fold and declaring war on the rest of the worlds, aspiring to create an empire of ultimate military power and, from that, a world of chaos just as twisted as he._

_Rebellion swiftly rose as the wars raged on, however, under the command of Azazel's own younger brother Aryeh; resulting in a thirteen-year long civil war with grave losses on either side... and a final battle, as the last of both armies met on the battlefield on a dying world, tainted by war and chaos, for a final battle to end either side. But it did not matter which side won... for the Kingdom of Mana would have died either way, its land no longer sustainable for mortal life..._

_Through one man's rule, an entire world had died..._

. . .

Fierce heavy winds beat down onto the vast wastelands that had once been rich green meadows, blazing surges of black fire raining down and consuming the dry earth in a blaze. The decaying corpses of thousands of soldiers limply lay on the ground; most of them clad in ebony-black armor, cracked and rusted, implying they had died many a year ago, with the emblem of a crown of fire decorating the chest-plate. The other still-large percentages were clad in white-gold armor, edged with bronze, which bore a glowing crown and two angel wings as its crest. Limbs were twisted in irregular positions and a sea of blood rippled slightly as the winds washed over it.

Loud roars of bloodlust rang out as an army of soldiers – around fifty-thousand in total – rushed across the desolate ruins of battle, clad in the same black armor of their fallen brethren, however much better kept if caked in blood. With little regard for their dead, heavy metal boots crushed bone as they ran at a much smaller army – around five thousand in number – clad in white gold armor, crimson splattered across it. Swords and spears clashed as men strove to kill the other, energy blasts flaring as one crossed his arms and chanted out a cry, several blades of razor-sharp wind pressure surging forward and tearing through his black-clad enemies before one took the liberty of exhaling a stream of flame, absorbing the air before exploding as it hit the ground, incinerating a group of twenty at once.

Many more golden-armored soldiers ran forward, one drawing his spear as lightning sparked around it, the tip beginning to vibrate, before he drove it through the armor plating of another, managing to rip through it, despite the great struggle, and cut through the man's heart; sending his enemy plummeting down with a gasp. "Hail Aryeh!" the victor roared before turning and firing a wave of electricity at other soldiers. But this time, however, one of them performed a motion and lashed his arm forward; a barrier of wind spiraling in front of him, the electricity fizzing out as it hit the wind, before sending it rushing forward to tear through the men.

And so, this was how it continued. The men of Aryeh tried their best to fight off the larger army, however, the endless bombardment their enemies delivered shattered their defenses with ease. One by one, they were obliterated, cut down, impaled or torn apart until not a single gold-clad warrior remained standing. "H-h-hail Azazel! The TRUE rightful King!" one of the black-armored men roared, thrusting his weapon into the air; the men cheering loudly, unaware of a shadow swiftly approaching them... until...

"**ROAR!"**

A large flash of glittering white lightning struck down on the black-clad army, many howling as the electricity surged through their armours and cooked them from the inside as others were burned clean through, some even vaporized. A large powerfully-built beast, its glowing pale-gold head avian in appearance with molten gold-yellow eyes and an onyx-black beak, a thick lion-like mane of amber-orange sprouting from its neck and shoulders. The body was built far more feline-like in appearance, golden fur decorating it, with talons sprouting from its paws and two large pale-gold feathered wings sprouting out from its back.

"This madness has gone too far..." its rider mumbled softly, glaring down at the army. Only a young man, he was dark-skinned, a common trait of the Kingdom of Mana, with his raven-black hair cut just above his shoulders; fiery gold eyes staring down with a hawk-like precision from atop his familiar, a griffin. His armor was a shiny gold, marked with pure-white edging, unmarked by blood nor dirt – having spent most of the war leading aerial assaults – and, resting in his grip, was a long claymore blade. "Now, for the brothers you have slaughtered, the sisters you have butchered and the children you have massacred... you face my wrath..."

"It's Aryeh!" one of the remaining soldiers, the apparent leader, growled; his scarlet cape swaying in the wind. "Take him out! Now!" Men aimed their weapons, glowing with Mana Energy, at their opponent – the man known as 'Aryeh', leader of the resistance and formerly the King of the Kingdom of Mana – as they awaited the command. "...Aim... FIRE!" Bursts shot out, the griffin roaring as it flew up into the sky; the cold glare on Aryeh's face making it clear that, on this day, he was going to end the war once and for all.

Aryeh leaped down from his beast's back towards the army as they charged, his claymore glowing brightly as white lightning and glowing sapphire 'water' spiraled around the blade, fusing together into a vibrant pale-blue watery form, sparking wildly before he swung his blade forward. **"Tonitribusque!"** Bullets of the glowing sparking water struck down, bursts of lightning following as the roar of thunder erupted across the battlefield. Bursts of conducted water swept through the wasteland as the lightning tore through men with ease. Before the remaining brigade had time to retaliate, the griffin flapped its wings wildly, sending a fierce gale raining down; knocking men flying. Some landed on their fallen comrades' weapons, gasping as the blades ripped through their vital organs before exhaling final rattled breaths, whilst others were killed instantly by their necks snapping with impact on the ground.

"I think I have made my standing pretty clear... _it's_ **_over_**," Aryeh coldly stated as his griffin descended beside him, the beast snarling as it glared at the remaining two-hundred survivors of the onslaught. "You are the last few of your men left and I have more than proven myself capable of tearing through your forces. Now tell me..." He stepped forward, some of the soldiers fearfully stepping back at the sight of this one man... no... this _being_ that had just destroyed their comrades without breaking a sweat. "Where is my brother...? _And I want the truth_..."

The griffin growled as it glowered down at the shaking guards before a blur caught its attention, the stench of brimstone filling its nostrils as it suddenly cawed loudly. Aryeh turned in surprise before his griffin suddenly swept him onto its back, flying upwards into the air to the soldiers' confusion. Aryeh gasped as he hang on tightly before noticing a blaze of pitch-black fire piercing through the dark clouds, incinerating the remnants of the army as the flames spread across the battlefield, the dead instantly igniting and burning away to ash. Aryeh watched in horror as the valley, his homeland, was consumed in the gluttonous flames; bowing his head silently and crossing his heart before glaring towards a large figure that descended. "...Brother..." he spat, the griffin growling. "Willing to kill even your own remaining troops? Have you no honor?!"

"Men are easy to replace," a dark cruel tone chuckled darkly as the figure swooped down to face the griffin. A titanic reptilian beast, dwarfing even the large mythical beast of Aryeh's with ease, snarled; body covered in jet-black armor-like scales, dark bone spikes protruding from its back as well as two horns curling outwards on each of its three reptilian heads, as two sets of thick leathery wings fiercely flapped in the air, keeping the titanic beast airborne. Six blood-red eyes glared at the griffin, who snarled in retaliation, as the voice continued. "And, with what I have planned, I no longer require mere _mortal_ men..."

Standing atop the central head was a fully armor-clad man, black spiked plating with blood-red flames decorating the chest-plate, his shoulders blazing as two wings of dark-indigo flame flared and rippled from his back. Crimson-red eyes, framed by deep black pools of what were meant to be his 'whites', glared in Aryeh's direction as the onyx crown on his brow glinted slightly in the light of the flames. The beast roared before both of them held their hands outwards. **"Gehennae!"** Two torrents of black flame, surging with blood red excess energy cackling, exploded out towards Aryeh; whose eyes narrowed as he and his Familiar prepared their counter-attack.

**"Charybdis!"** Aryeh countered, his hands glowing a vibrant blue before firing a glowing sphere of 'water'. The sphere, as soon as it collided with the black flame, burst and expanded to form a large vortex; sucking in the attack and extinguishing it, steam rising up, before releasing several streams, each stream taking the form of a serpentine creature. The griffin swooped forward, jaw opening before it exhaled a stream of wind forward.

Azazel merely glanced down at his dragon, as if giving a silent order. The dragon snarled before swooping out of the way, its three demonic heads opening as molten hot spheres formed. With a roar, each head released a stream of lava, flying up before floating over Aryeh and the griffin's head. Azazel held his hands out towards the lava before gripping tightly. **"Infernus Funere!"** The lava descended down, black flame bursting to life around it, towards the golden-clad warrior and his Familiar.

Aryeh's eyes widened in horror before he quickly tugged at the griffin's mane, the majestic beast swooping down towards the blazing wastelands as the lava continued to rain down towards them. Swiftly, it flew to the left at the last second, letting the lava crash down onto the burning land, before swooping back up, Aryeh glowing a radiant gold. "You've allowed chaos to rule you, brother... now, it is time for you to once more see the light!" he declared, thrusting his hands out. **"Lumen Gladii!"** Several sparks of dazzling white energy flared to life around Aryeh and the griffin before flying forward, extending into blades, before stabbing into the dragon.

The dragon howled in agony as flame burst from its stab wounds, snarling as it fell back a little, Azazel clutching his own bleeding chest, several blades having stabbed through his armor. "...Heheh... y-you really think you can stop me? Look around you!" Azazel grinned darkly, "it is dead! The land, its life... it's all DEAD... and I thank you for it..." Aryeh's eyes widened in horror as Azazel declared those words. Could it actually be possible? Did his brother truly want to destroy their home, their birthright, through all this? "Don't you see?! Its death was my plan from the start..." The Emperor formed a hand seal as dark-red flames surrounded him. "And now, the true conquest begins..."

"**Recro Oscurorum Phoenicem!"**

A shroud of Mana surrounded Azazel, taking the form of a large dark-red phoenix, eyes glowing jet-black, before it descended down; his dragon rippling as it was dismissed, fading away into shadow to await when it would next be summoned. The phoenix dived into the flames, sending a scarlet-wave across the wastelands. Aryeh's eyes narrowed before slowly expanding in horror, the man visibly paling, as wisps began to travel up; taking the form of men, both former comrades and enemies alike, before twisting and shifting, their bodies expanding as they became more and more demonic in appearance. Eventually, they solidified as Azazel reformed beside them.

"I have exceeded mortal restrictions, Aryeh... I have found a way to create perfection from the dead!" Azazel declared, "I have mastered the Forbidden Arts of Chaos! Don't you see?! I am nigh unstoppable!" The beasts roared before mounds of flesh began to burst from their back, large leathery wings forming, as they flew up at Aryeh. The griffin smashed wildly with its claws, tearing through beast after beast only to find, to its and his master's despair, that they would reform themselves each time, before bursts of black fire rained onto them; the griffin roaring as Aryeh's eyes widened, he himself glowing jet-black as he was thrown off of his Familiar, the griffin screeching one last time before shattering into wisps.

Aryeh plummeted through the air, his body covered in horrific burns as molten gold dripped from his armor, as he breathed heavily. _'...Concentrate... concentrate...'_ he thought, glowing a vibrant yellow before his eyes snapped open, _'I need to do this... what other option do I have?'_ "...Adonai... brother... you have truly fallen... and all I see left of you is this monstrosity that calls himself an 'Emperor'. Today... I free you..." he mumbled, flashing a bright gold as a rainbow spectrum of energy began to surround him. "Whether I fall or not doing so..."

"**Mystic Form, Awaken! Sanctum Gryphem Eques!"**

The rainbow spectrum continued to spin around Aryeh as his armor shattered away, a new pale-gold suit taking its place. Wings of blazing white energy sprouted from his back and a helm shaped like a hawk's head formed over his face, gold eyes narrowing behind the eyeholes, as he dived straight into the flames where the undead army awaited him. Spinning his blade, he cleaved through one of them, his sword sparking with lightning, as the flames licked against his armor with no effect. Another, more skeletal-looking with its ribs visible and poking against its pale skin, opened its jaw, extending it to unnatural lengths, before exhaling a large black sphere of energy.

Aryeh leaped over it with a grunt, flipping in the air before his sword began to glow brightly. **"Caelestis Ardere!"** A wave of blinding white flame washed down onto the beastly army, incinerating some of them as Aryeh landed, grinning in triumph... before noticing, to his horror, the ashes spiraling and reforming into the apparently-destroyed creatures. Before he could strike again, Azazel darted forward and smashed a burst of spiraling black-and-indigo energy into his chest, sending him spiraling back.

"Did you honestly think you could prevent this from happening?" Azazel spat, "heroes are doomed to failure in the end... because they never accept the consequences of their actions... they always try to believe that they're 'doing good' or that 'it was the right thing to do'. So long as you restrain yourself, brother, you can't win..." He rushed forward to slash at Aryeh, who blocked before leaping back.

"...Then it is time to stop living in a world of glass and being careful," Aryeh began solemnly, "and time to show you the full extent of what I can do."

Rushing forward, he noticed more of the undead charging him. With swift precision, he cut through the ranks one by one before striking at Azazel, who blocked and leaped back before releasing a wave of ebony-black flame. Aryeh slammed his blade down, the flames around them flashing scarlet-red and blazing orange before spiraling around Aryeh, absorbing the black fire before flying out at Azazel as whips. The Emperor cleaved through them as his undead exhaled a barrage of blasts, Aryeh slashing through them as he ran forward again.

Another of the creatures, spider-like in build, exhaled a string of energy webbing at Aryeh, who disappeared in a flash of bright yellow before reforming above it, descending down and slashing it in half, leaping away as the two halves reformed into two smaller spiders. "...There are too many of them..." he mumbled, glancing around at the rapidly growing army, breathing heavily. "But maybe..."

Azazel held his clawed gauntlet out before releasing discharges of black lightning, Aryeh countering with his own lightning discharge, creating a small explosion, sending dust and flame bursting out; obscuring their vision. Azazel breathed heavily, glancing around as he stepped forward, his creations sniffing the air for Aryeh's scent... until...

Azazel turned at the last second and stabbed his fist, blazing with his hellish flames, just as Aryeh's blade impaled through his chest. Aryeh's eyes widened as he felt Azazel's arm stab through his stomach and emerge through his back, shuddering as blood trickled from his wound. "...So... t-this is it...?"

"For you, perhaps..." Azazel gasped, coughing for air, "but I will not let myself end in such a pathetic way... I... I will achieve immortality... and you will watch from whatever afterlife your damned soul goes to... as I plunge the entire Realm of Light... into chaos..."

Aryeh was silent before glowing one last time, a blazing sigil burning into his forehead as he snarled in pain. "...How do you plan to do that... when you're dead?" he calmly asked, Azazel's eyes widening in shock as Aryeh's sigil blazed. "I know fully well your army is tied to your body, _Adonai_!" His hands swiftly gripped Azazel, glowing brightly. "And without you, they will fall to oblivion... IT'S OVER, AZAZEL!" With those final words, he blazed wildly before exploding into a burst of energy, Azazel roaring in agony as his own body was ripped apart, vaporized by the attack, as it spread and tore through the army and flames...

'_It won't... end... this way...'_ were Azazel's last thoughts as he faded away, Aryeh bowing his head quietly as his body burned away to nothing. When the light cleared, there was no trace of either army. Just a large smouldering crater, the ground cracked and burned, was all that remained of the battle... the Kingdom of Mana had died... destroyed in the blaze of war... or so it initially seemed.

A black wisp of energy fluttered out of the crater, shuddering and glowing before it took the form of a dark-red phoenix, the bird cawing as it flew up, releasing its flames down onto the battlefield. Seconds later, an armor-clad figure slowly emerged from the flames, breathing heavily as he glared up at the sky. "...I warned you... Aryeh... I would not come to my end like that..." a reformed Azazel breathed heavily before grinning under his mask, "and this time... NO ONE shall stop me..." The Emperor slowly stood up, glancing around at the ruin of his home world. He had a lot of work to do... and an entire army to create... but he had faith in his success. It was his _destiny_...

* * *

Okay, some of you may have wondered why I am revamping this... AGAIN. I will answer you honestly: the other version was terrible. Grammatical errors throughout, the first few chapters were of REALLY low quality, I never explained Mana Energy fully (I will actually have a chapter devoted to this early on this time) and half of it was improvisation. Now, I have a much clearer plan for the story's three acts and have improved my writing style ten-fold. First off, though, to explain some of the abilities and attacks used in this chapter (I will not explain the Mystic Form YET due to it playing a key role in the story)...

**Attack Database...**

**Aryeh -**

_- Tonitribusque:_ Latin meaning 'Thunderstorm'. A hybrid Mana Art between the elements of Water and Lightning. The user summons forth Water Mana Energy before channeling lightning into the conjured 'liquid', iodizing it. The user them launches the iodized water in the form of powerful energy bullets at the opponent.

_- Charybdis:_ Taken from the name of a sea monster of Greek mythology. A high-level Water Mana Art. The user creates a sphere of spiraling Water Mana Energy before releasing it forward, the sphere breaking down and forming a whirlpool barrier to pull in and dispel other attacks before releasing several whips, shaped similarly to a serpentine creature, at the target.

_- Lumen Gladii:_ Latin meaning 'Light Blades'. A mid-level Holy Mana Art. The user creates several sparks of Holy Mana Energy around them before releasing the sparks forward, the speed build-up causing the sparks to extend into dense energy blades.

_- Caelestis Ardere:_ Latin meaning 'Celestial Blaze'. A high-level Holy Mana Art. The user builds up heat and pressure from the surrounding air and their own bodies before forming a white-hot fire attack, capable of melting down metals such as steel with ease.

**Azazel -**

_- Gehennae:_ Latin meaning 'Hell Fire'. A high-level Chaos Mana Art. The user, similarly to Caelestis Ardere, builds up heat and pressure however this is done through one's own rage and hatred before releasing a blaze of black fire; capable of igniting nearly all known substances with a temperature akin to the Amaterasu of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

_- Infernus Funere:_ Latin meaning 'Hellfire Funeral'. A high-level Fire Mana Art. Through manipulating lava previously generated by another attack, the user infuses it with Mana Energy, increasing its heat and making it easier to control, before sending it crashing down onto the opponent; incinerating them using the lava. Azazel also combines this ability with Chaos Mana.

_- Recro Oscurorum Phoenicem:_ Latin meaning 'Revival of the Dark Phoenix'. A forbidden high-level Chaos Mana Art. Through the use of specially designed seals infused onto the body (seals created to replace the sacrifice of blood needed for Blood Mana Arts typically), the user can create a blood-red flame, often shaped into a phoenix, capable of absorbing the souls of the dead within the nearby area and resurrect them in bodies of solid Mana Energy. When used on a being of weak spirit, it twists and deforms them into monstrous beings known as the Nefaria (Latin for 'abominations'), however, when used on those with strong spirit, they can retain a human form and be granted with abilities on-par with, even exceeding, a Natural-born Mana-Caster. When the bearer of these seals perishes and they have knowledge of the _Recro Oscurorum Phoenicem_, it is possible for the user to resurrect their own being through the destruction of the seals releasing their energy. However, use of this removes the seals from the body upon rebirth and can be removed if the user knows how to dispel a seal, preventing the rebirth effect.

Not much else to say now aside from... hope you enjoyed and stay tuned! Because this shall be one wild ride...

Lion's Edge signing off!


	2. II: Seeds of Malice

First off, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed this story for your feedback!

Second, as a warning, this second chapter... is going to be one of my first attempts at writing a genuine nightmare sequence. So be warned... some of you may find this chapter scary.

Aside from that, sit back, grab some popcorn and I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

**Author Fighters: Wrath of the Emperor  
****Chapter II: Seeds of Malice**

Darkness: the absence of light and warmth. A cold abyss of pitch-black where the weak would forever be lost in and even the strong would emerge twisted as a result of traversing. It was the darkness – this cold empty void – from which he was born from... and it was this void of shadow that he was destined to rule. Bangs of wispy ghostly-white hair hung limply over his face as crimson-red eyes, burning with the infernal intensity of the seven circles of Hell, a glint of madness within his gaze, narrowed. Only a few rays of light managed to pierce the cracks of the stone walls his fortress was constructed from, revealing his skin to be a dark midnight-blue.

While most in the age of the modern era sought to live their lives in the light, Drake Ebon Darkstar knew the 'truth' to existence: that all hearts were truly cold voids of darkness. The 'light' people spoke so highly about was but a myth, an illusion used to deceive oneself into believing in perfection. _Perfection_... it was a term that honestly amused Drake due to how foolishly it was thrown around without its true meaning ever being explored. To achieve true perfection, one had to realize the truth of existence and Drake was, in his own mind, one of those beings. The illusion of light had blinded the world from the truth... and it was up to him to unlock the gateways to the truth and, with the return of the Dark God, return the world to its true state.

There was, however, one problem in the aspiring God of Darkness' plans... the Author Fighters. Constantly expanding their ranks every time he so much as _blinked_, it seemed, they had always been there to foil his every move. And now, when he was finally beginning to execute the revival of the Dark God, it seems that they were working harder than ever to try and stop him. If he wanted to execute his plans, he had to take them out of the picture first. "But how...?" he thought aloud to himself, gripping tightly on the onyx-black metals of his throne. "To take out the Authors would invoke the wrath of their allies... and to take out the allies would invoke their wrath..."

Drake may have failed many a time in the past, but stupid he was not. He knew the risks that came with aiming to destroy the team. For a start, they had many allies; all of whom could tear through a Darkside army with ease banded together. To destroy his enemies straight away would result in their friends taking vengeance... and his own head next on the chopping board. After all, how was one to become a God if he was dead before his plans reached fulfillment? The second problem was that, if he decided to take out their allies first, they themselves would only resolve to get stronger and fight even harder; making it nigh-impossible to find a way to destroy them.

_'Perhaps an attack on their resources would be best,'_ Drake thought, stroking his chin. The Author Fighters seemed to get a lot of their supplies within their own base of operations, Los Angeles, as well as the Shinobi Nations, Radiant Garden, Fictor and Unity in terms of training equipment and weaponry. But again, he had a problem with that... to attack all of those bases would branch his troops out too far away to return to him in case of an attack, leaving himself prone for an assassination attempt. He himself also relied on those worlds to feed his own ranks and arm the Darkside forces. To attack them would be to undermine the Darkside King's own troops... "Wait... there is... one other option I could try," Drake concluded, his mind reflecting to an old plan: back when he had decided to try and absorb the powers of demons from across the universe to attain the power of Godhood.

It had failed, like all others, but there was one phase in particular that had come to a great success... something that had happened so long ago, that the AF had probably forgotten it or dismissed it as unlikely to ever happen again. And THAT was exactly what Drake needed to turn the war in his favor. "...Yes..." Drake grinned widely, a cruel chuckle escaping his lips. "Of course..."

The image was now clear in his mind: that of a tall imposing figure, clad in pitch-black armor with a blood-red staff in his hand, with cold eyes and a gravely-serious facial expression. "MaliciousMagemon... our time of reunion... is at hand..."

Little did Drake know, however, that skulking in the very shadows he claimed to 'rule', his presence concealed under the black veil, was a hooded figure; dark-indigo eyes glancing out from under his black robes as they narrowed. _'Lord Azazel,'_ he calmly began, sending a message to his ruler through their mental link, _'I have found the one known as Darkstar... why are you so interested in such a lowly creature anyway? All he is... is just a void of empty shadows, the flames of rage bubbling at its heart.'_

"**Because THAT is exactly what I need**," a deep cold voice rang out in his head, the hooded man nodding quietly as the shadows began to snake around him. **"Keep an eye on Drake's actions... I plan to approach him myself in due time but, for now, we need to wait until he is at his weakest. When he sinks so deep into desperation, that he will have no other option than to accept our offer... THAT is when I will approach him. But I need you to keep an eye on him and let me know when said time approaches. Now go forth, Nero... and do not fail me..."**

'_Yes,'_ the hooded man, Nero, responded as he began to fade into the darkness, closing his eyes and embracing the cold numbing sensation. _'As you wish... my Emperor...'_

. . .

"_**No matter where you run, I will always be there beside you..."**_

Blasts of dark magic ripped through the area as a panting figure sprinted across the burning city, blood-red fireballs raining down from the pitch-black toxic clouds of smoke, as the ground tore open and erupted, lava flowing towards him. Silver locks sticking to his head with sweat, he slammed his staff down, sending waves of dark-indigo lightning to rip through the lava. Glancing down, the man, clad in dark-green armor lined with gold, gasped as he saw his shadow begin to shift and transform. "What...?" he gasped before it began to wrap around him, the man gasping for air as the dark voice continued to echo.

"_**Every breath I take is a breath YOU take..."**_

The shadows continued to bind the man, his amber eyes wide with fear, before he heard the sound of flowing water behind him. Swiftly turning, he was met by a cold whip of glowing blue water, slamming into his ribcage, the man gasping as he choked out a mouthful of his own dark-red blood, bones cracking at the sheer force, before he was sent tumbling across the destroyed city. But still, the shadows clung tightly onto him, increasing their grip as they seeped through his armor, the plating beginning to turn jet-black.

"**Avada Kedavra!"**

'The Killing Curse?!' the man thought, freezing in horror, before noticing a bright spark of pale jade-green energy soaring towards him. Malevolent aura flared from the blast, sending a shudder down his spine, and its cold deathly embrace could be felt from even where he was standing, Suddenly, he found himself unable to think as his hand slowly raised up, his staff now a bloody-red for some reason, as black energy spiraled around it. _'What?! T-This isn't my staff...'_ **"Avada Kedavra,"** he stated with a hateful tone, his voice a cold and emotionless monotone, as he shot a similar burst of pale-green energy.

"_**My power is YOUR power..."**_

The two spells collided, creating a small explosion of vibrant green, energy rippling out and brushing past him, before he turned to glare at his attacker... only for his heart to shatter at the sight. A beautiful woman, long silver hair swaying in the wind, clad in white armor wielding a long glittering sword, jewels encrusted within the hilt, turned to face him; pale-blue eyes meeting amber as his spirits sank. "...Hikari..."

"Sempai... DarkPaladinmon... how-how could you be willing to descend into this madness?!" she demanded, fighting back the bitter sting of tears as her sword glowed brightly. "Our friends, our loved ones... they're all DEAD! And it's your fault!" She rushed forward, swinging the beautiful blade that was _Twinsegia_ towards his neck, as he swiftly blocked with the staff. "I loved you, Sempai, and you threw it all away..." She mumbled before glowing brightly, her eyes flashing a pure white as she stepped forward; ready to finish him off...

"_**My hatred... is YOUR hatred..."**_

DarkPaladinmon sunk onto his knees, eyes wide with horror as he shook his head. _'No... No, Hikari, please!'_ he thought. _'...What does she mean... they're all dead...?'_ Suddenly, he felt a burning passion bubble inside him as black aura began to flare and gather around him as he – no, this cold hateful _monstrosity_ whose body he had somehow been trapped in – began to speak. "What's wrong? Can't accept the fact that you've been thrown away like the second-rate piece of trash you REALLY are?" Hikari's eyes widened as the tears she had been fighting back began to trickle down her face, dripping onto the floor and evaporating into thin streams of vapor instantly.

"You heard me, you worthless excuse of a Balance... you cannot blame me for YOUR failure as a protector," 'DarkPaladinmon' continued, a cruel grin cracking on his face as he savored the sight of Hikari crumbling before him, stepping back as she began to shake and tremble. "That's it... run away... tremble and cower in the sight of true power... you are pitiful, Hikari... here I stand, the man who destroyed the Author Fighters, who killed your family in cold blood... and you can't even bring yourself to strike me down? Weak... that is all you ever were... and today, you die!"

'_NO! I would never say that!'_ the true DarkPaladinmon thought, his heart shattering as he felt his spirit weaken. His body, once again, began to move against his command to stay put and let himself meet his end for his horrific acts. Black lightning sparked and cackled as it spiraled around him before he held his staff up, the black jewel at its end flaring before firing a large blast of dark magic up. _'...This can't be real... this has to be a dream...' _

"HAIL AZAZEL!" the 'DarkPaladinmon' in control of his body roared, slamming his staff into the ground. "This ends today, Hikari-_hime_... **METEOR!**" A large black sphere of energy began to form overhead, solidifying as white-hot flame sparked and danced around it.

"_**We are one, DarkPaladinmon..."**_

Hikari's tears cascaded freely as she bowed her head, silently sobbing before glaring up, teary pale-blue eyes now a cold icy-azure, despite the tears still flowing, as she gritted her teeth. "...You... you're not even a man anymore... you... you're a monster, Sempai..." she muttered before phantom-like wings sprouted from her back, a flurry of white feathers dancing around her. "The DarkPaladinmon I knew and loved is long gone... and you are all that remains... I hope my Sempai can forgive me, wherever he is... but I must do... what I MUST DO!"

"**HOLY!"**

A radiant aura flared around her, brilliant white light erupting outwards as her eyes glowed a pure gold; the Queen of Balances holding her sword up before the radiant aura began to wash over the entire battlefield. "...So... this is how I go...?" 'DarkPaladinmon' mumbled before grinning. "No matter... I have played my part... you may win the battle, Hikari Ino... but the war is ours..." With a final roar, he sent the large black sphere spiraling down, fire trailing behind it with explosive force, towards Hikari.

'_NO!'_

Hikari bowed her head quietly as the Meteor crashed onto her, her body instantly being consumed in the dark voids of black magic, her mortal body torn apart as flame and shadow erupted into the air. 'DarkPaladinmon' grinned widely before cackling in triumph as the Holy spell washed over him, searing away his flesh and bone as, like his former lover, his body was banished to oblivion by the heavenly spell. "HAIL AZAZEL!" were his last words as he was incinerated, DarkPaladinmon's true spirit howling as he was thrown flying away from the destroyed city... away from his love's resting place... away from where that beast that claimed to be him had died...

"_**You and I... we are one..."**_

DarkPaladinmon continued to fly up into the thick-black clouds, gasping as he found himself blinded, floating in nothing but darkness. Neither alive, nor dead... just... drifting. Breathing heavily, he looked around and shook. 'This has to be a dream... just a horrible, horrible dream...' he thought, clutching his head. "Wake up... wake up!"

"_**You and I... we are the same being..."  
**_

"SHUT UP!" DarkPaladinmon yelled, "you... you will NEVER be me, you monster! What did you do to my friends?! My world?! Were you the one who destroyed it?!" A cruel laughter responded to his demands, the heroic spellcaster clenching his fists as he held his hand out. "Shut up and show yourself!" he demanded, charging up for a spell... only to find he was unable to generate even a spark of his magic. _'...No...'_ he muttered before tendrils of shadow shot out, wrapping around his arms and tightly binding him in place. His bones began to creak as the force was increased before they shattered, the wizard screaming in agony as searing hot pain surged through the limbs before they slowly began to numb, a cold sensation cutting through him.

"_**You thought you could outrun me... escape me... deny me what is mine..."**_

Slowly, a figure began to rise from the shadow, his burning amber gaze meeting DarkPaladinmon's. The figure remained hidden within the shadows, only a faint outline confirming his presence for the most part; the only visible feature of theirs being cold blazing amber eyes, the pupils swirling and shifting constantly, like two flames dancing in the wind, and a long bloody-red staff, a black crystal resting on its tip, sparking in its grasp. _**"But it is futile to resist my influence... for you see; this day was foreseen a LONG time ago. The SECOND I was created..."**_

"_**For you see, DarkPaladinmon, the images you had beheld are not what HAS happened... but what WILL happen..."**_

DarkPaladinmon's breath grew heavy as the staff was pressed against his neck. The metal began to heat up, the tip of the long weapon flaring a light red as it seared his flesh, DarkPaladinmon's eyes widening as he shuddered and gasped. He wanted to scream so badly, but the pain was too much... he could feel his body slowly going numb... and his thought process shutting down entirely. _**"The world will burn... the flames of chaos will spread to devour all... and WE shall be the ones to usher it forth,"**_ it stated, a cold monotone voice ringing out, before his gaze locked with DarkPaladinmon's. Instantly, memories flooded into the Digmon/Duel Monster hybrid as their eyes met.

'_Such hatred... such malice...!'_ DarkPaladinmon thought, eyes widening. It was one of his darkest moments, a memory he had long since thought pushed away into the recesses of his mind, and now he was forced to watch them unfold once more. The pain he inflicted on his friends, the ruthlessness he executed his actions with, the darkness that flowed through his veins. "...I... I thought you were nothing more than a memory..."

"_**I will NEVER be a memory,"**_ the shadow spat before releasing a wave of bloody-red fire from the staff. _**"Malicious Inferno!"**_ DarkPaladinmon screamed loudly, his body blazing with the flames as he felt his blood boil, smoke rising from his body as he breathed heavily. Looking down, he saw his palm crumbling away into ash, eyes widening as he looked at his other hand, it too also burning away. _**"...Our destiny is about to be fulfilled... the Emperor is coming..."**_ were the last words of the shadow before he faded away, leaving DarkPaladinmon to scream and writhe as he burned away to ash...

. . .

"NO!"

DarkPaladinmon's eyes snapped open as he shot up from his bed, breathing heavily. His eyes darted around, a wave of relief washing over him as he identified the dark room as his own, dimly lit by the moonlight trickling through his window. He was back in Los Angeles, California, and his team's base... not in that burning wasteland of a city nor the cold shadows... "It was a dream," he sighed in relief, glancing at his arms and twitching them lightly. "Just a dream..."

Breathing heavily, he looked out the window at the pale glow of the moon, the light reflecting in his amber eyes. However, his mind was still in turmoil. After a few seconds of staring, he found the moon morphing, shifting into the hateful glare of Hikari-no, the Hikari of his nightmare, as she drew her sword to kill him. "Hime, don't!" he yelled, turning away and hastily closing the curtains, stumbling onto his bed and wrapping the covers around him. Sweat dripped from his brow as he tried to relax his rattled nerves, shaking wildly, before his mind began to play tricks on him again... his covers becoming the binding shadows that snapped his bones like twigs... that cold numb void he had been trapped in...

Hastily leaping out the bed, DarkPaladinmon shuddered as he bowed his head down, panting and spluttering, struggling to breathe as he tried to shake away the images in his head. Despite his valiant efforts, however, it was impossible... the flames, Hikari's death, his own cruelty, the shadow... it reminded him of a long-lost memory, now fresh in his mind once more, he had tried to forget from his early days... of a darkness within him, long since quelled... or so he thought.

"MaliciousMagemon... what do you mean... 'The Emperor is coming?'?"

* * *

Okay, for those who are confused, allow me to explain: MaliciousMagemon was a character from DarkPaladinmon's story Demons of Darkstar, the darkness of DarkPaladinmon (or DarkMagicianmon as he was known as then) amplified by Drake to the point of it taking over entirely. Since then, MaliciousMagemon has kind of fallen into obscurity. I wanted to bring back the idea and expand upon it.

Second, attack database:

**Hikari Ino -**

_- Avada Kedavra:_ The Killing Curse, a forbidden spell with little to no known way of reversal aside from sacrificial protection. The user releases a discharge of pale-green energy that rips the soul from the body, killing them instantly leaving no signs of injury. The spell is notorious for being used as the signature of the Dark Lord, Voldemort, as well as being the most feared of all curses. The spell originated from the Harry Potter series and, as such, belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me.

_- Holy:_ One of the most powerful known White Magic spells, as well as one of their few offensive techniques, the Holy spell is only used by those of pure light. The user releases a powerful discharge of holy magical energy, the results often destroying a target almost instantly. The spell is particularly effective on those of dark energy. This spell originated from the Final Fantasy series and belongs to Square Enix, not me.

**DarkPaladinmon/MaliciousMagemon -**

_- Meteor:_ One of the most powerful known Black Magic spells, the Meteor spell is often used by those whose hearts are steeped in darkness. The user creates a meteor before unleashing its destructive power onto the opponent, capable of apocalyptic damage. The spell is particularly effective on those with souls of pure or near-pure light. The spell originated from the Final Fantasy series and belongs to Square Enix, not me.

Next time. the Author Fighters will properly be introduced and a confrontation with Drake is guaranteed! But what does MaliciousMagemon mean when he refers to a 'destiny'? What is Azazel planning regarding Drake? Who is the hooded figure?

Well, I'm not answering those questions yet... you need to keep reading to see.

Until then, this is Lion's Edge signing off!


	3. III: From the Shadows

This is actually one of my fastest updates to date, I just realized...

But I digress, this chapter was actually easier to write than the others. All it took was a bit of research into the characters and, from there, the rest unfolded itself.

So sit back, grab some popcorn and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Author Fighters: Wrath of the Emperor  
****Chapter III: From the Shadows**

Within the darkness of Los Angeles' sewers, a faint glimmer of moonlight penetrating through the dark tunnels, as a shadowy figure silently prowled through the shadow. Black hooded robe covering his face, a cape swaying behind him with a quiet flap, the mysterious figure known as 'Nero Aetius' prowled through the darkness before quietly halting; looking up towards the moon before his dark-indigo eyes narrowed, face hidden under the shadows of his hood. _'...Why would His Majesty be interested in the affairs of a pitiful Darkside consumed by hatred?'_ he thought, clapping his hands together as he began to glow with a pitch-black aura. _'No... Nero, your creed is to your lord... to question his orders would be foolish...'_

"I need to focus on the task at hand... not my own prejudice towards the Darkside," Nero muttered before a black circle, faintly glowing with an indigo tint, began to form around him, sparks flying from the circle as the shadows around him rippled, clustering together into a large black hole. Holding his hand out, Nero pulled it up as he closed his eyes. "Find the one known as Drake Darkstar... and watch over him," he ordered firmly, "if anyone tries to destroy him... _annihilate_ them."

A loud roar rang out from the black hole before a long serpentine shadow surged out of it, bloody-red eyes locking onto Nero. "Now go," the hooded man calmly grunted, crossing his arms. The shadow nodded with a growl before dive-bombing down into the shadows, disappearing from sight, as Nero began to disappear in a ripple of shadows. _'Azazel saved my life. Therefore, I am in his debt. And to ever forsake my Brotherhood... THAT is my creed... the Creed of the Dark Assassin...'_ he concluded to himself before disappearing in the shadows...

. . .

The sun slowly began to creep up, its dim light shining down on the city of Los Angeles as the city began to stir and awaken. However, near the towering building that served as the headquarters of the organization known as the 'Author Fighters', a vortex of shadow formed; Drake Ebon Darkstar stepping out with a cruel smirk on his face. With a snap of his fingers, another portal formed as four other figures stepped out. "Distract the other Authors in the base... but leave DarkPaladinmon and the Balance Queen to me. Is that clear?" Drake firmly ordered. _'If I take out Hikari Ino... I can trigger his rage enough to force Dark Digivolution on him again...'_ he thought, walking towards the base.

The four figures nodded and rushed into the building, leaving Drake to calmly fade into the shadows, his gaze resting on the building. _'Soon, DarkPaladinmon, you will be MY partner...' he thought, 'and we'll destroy the Authors from the inside out...'_

Little did he know, as he disappeared into a dark vortex, a long snake-like shadow, hissing darkly, peered out of the darkness, blood-red eyes glowing as it remembered its orders...

"**_Find the one known as Drake Darkstar... and watch over him. If anyone tries to destroy him... _annihilate_ them..."_**

The serpentine creature hissed before rushing towards the FAF headquarters, hiding away in the shadows as it watched, awaiting for the moment to arise where the one it was meant to guard was in danger... and who it had to eliminate...

. . .

"**Rasengan!"** a youthful voice yelled, his voice ringing out through the interior of the Author Fighters' headquarters, as a teenage male, his scarlet-red locks spiking wildly, tipped with a hint of dark-blue, clad in black rushed forward, a spiraling pale-blue sphere of energy resting in his palm. Slamming it forward, he was swiftly countered when a spear of glowing crystal-like ice was whipped out towards him. Hastily, he drew a chakram from his side and swung it, tearing through the ice before aiming his Rasengan at his opponent. "Not this time, Kitty! You aren't blocking me again!"

His opponent, a tan-skinned teenage girl with long white hair, tied back in a braid with a few bangs framing her face, and sapphire-blue eyes, giggled before a pale-blue sphere began to form in her hand. "I wasn't trying to counter... I was distracting!" she corrected, leaping up and ramming the sphere forward. **"Hyōtenka-kyū!"** she yelled, a large wave of ice-cold energy erupting out and forming a layer of ice around her arm as it crashed into the Rasengan, sparks flying from the two attacks before they exploded into a burst of chakra and diamond dust; sending the two tumbling back. Rubbing her hand, the girl grimaced as she glanced at her frozen arm. "Why does this always happen...?"

"Beats me," the male responded before throwing his chakram at the ice, shattering it as the girl, Kitten Hachi-chan or 'Kitty' as she was also known as, rubbed her arm with a grimace. "Though it MAY be a lack of control... same thing happened to me when I was trying to learn Rasengan." His chakram flying in his grasp, he strapped it to his waist and walked towards her. "But that IS advanced... maybe you should focus on something... simpler?"

"Nuh-uh," Kitty insisted, shaking her head, "no way Loony. I need to get stronger if I'm going to be protecting my friends... I am the Sorceress of Ice, after all." The redhead, Lunatic 121 or 'Loony' as he was also known as, opened his mouth to protest before his face fell flat. Kitty chuckled before her ear twitched, picking up on the sound of sparking... almost like electricity. "...Loony... I think we've got-"

**ZAP!**

Several bullets of electricity surged out and struck at them, Lunatic hastily performing hand seals and stepping in the way. **"Fire Release: Quill Cannon Technique!"** he yelled, several bladed strands of hair, all set alight, shooting out of his spikes. The quills clashed with the bullets, each one exploding in a small flurry of sparks as they clashed, before he glanced around. "Alright... where is it...?"

"ROAR!" a bellow rang out before Lunatic turned to face a shadow flying at him, claws extended. In a flash, a pale-blue blur scooped him up and flew out the way of the creature's charge; Lunatic looking up to find himself face-to-face with an ice-blue dragon, her wings spread out, with white spikes jutting from her head and gold eyes, the pupils wide and circular.

"You're welcome," Kitty chirped before looking down with a glare towards their attacker. Scarlet eyes met the jade-green gaze of Lunatic and Kitten's gold gaze as a large black-scaled creature, covered from head-to-toe in armor plating, with a deformed hound-like head, a large snout sniffing the air as it growled, bearing saliva-drenched white fangs at them, before it barked loudly. Long claws shot out from its paws, like scythe blades, before it leaped up.

"...Well... hello, ugly..." Lunatic mumbled before performing hand seals, **"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"** Forming a ring shape in front of his mouth, he exhaled a large scarlet-and-orange fireball; the fireball descending down towards the Darkside. The beast snarled before leaping over it, sparking and glowing before releasing another thunderbolt from its jaws, a thunder-like bark echoing out. Kitty hastily carried Lunatic out of the way, soaring up before swooping down.

Diamond-like snow and ice began to spiral around Kitty's claws before she dived down, spinning wildly as ice, snow and a pale-blue energy spiraled around her. With a yell, she slammed into the Darkside, sending it staggering back as a layer of ice formed on its side, the beast roaring as it staggered back before snarling. "Down, boy!" she yelled, "and STAY DOWN!" Inhaling deeply, a pale-blue sphere formed in her jaws before she released a torrent of ice and snow in the form of a blizzard. The Darkside roared as it dashed through the blizzard, glowing darkly before bolts of energy erupted out and slammed into Kitty.

The dragon howled as she tumbled down, sparks surging from her body as she crashed into the floor, twitching as she pushed herself up. Breathing heavily, Kitty looked up to see the beast pouncing at her, jaws open wide as it descended towards her...

"**FIRE RELEASE: GREAT FLAME..."**

Lunatic was in front of Kitty in a flash, a Rasengan in his hands before he held it to his lips, exhaling a stream of fire onto it. The flames formed a layer over the Rasengan, the sphere darkening until it was jet-black, a glowing aura of red around it, before he rushed forward and slammed it into the beast. **"RASENGAN!"** he yelled, grinding the sphere into the hound's face before it exploded into a large burst of flame, Lunatic skidding back as he landed beside Kitty. "Piece of cake!" he scoffed... before, as the flames faded, his jaw dropped.

"You've _got_ to be kidding," Kitty gaped in shock and fear. The Darkside, despite the right half of its face now blackened, part of it seared off and exposing raw muscle, still stood, snarling darkly as it opened its jaw; a large spiraling ball of black lightning forming before, with a roar, it released the blast, cloud-like wisps of energy surrounding it, as it rushed towards the two young heroes...

. . .

Quietly sitting on the rooftop, a silver-furred hedgehog, a deep gold mane sprouting from his chest, with his spines growing out into a five-crested spike at the front of his head, clad in a black-and-turquoise poncho and cowboy hat silently meditated; the silver gauntlet on his hand sparking and faintly glowing with red lightning. A sapphire-blue eye opened as he heard the sound of movement, the hedgehog standing up as he sighed. "Can't we just be friends?" he mumbled, looking around with a raised eyebrow. Silence was all that answered him.

"...You can come out," the hedgehog insisted, opening his other eye as a goofy grin crossed his face. "You know the usual cliché: the hero always wins!" he laughed weakly, "and I'm kind of not really one for dying." Suddenly, an invisible force slammed into him, a grunt escaping the hedgehog's lips as he tumbled backwards. "...THAT... hurt like hell," he groaned, pushing himself up before he aimed his hand. "...Oh wait... I can't see it..."

A rush of wind caught the hedgehog's attention before he sighed in relief. "...Well, that helps," he mumbled before leaping up as the ground where he had once stood was torn open by a powerful force. Swiftly, he held his gauntlet-equipped hand forward and lifted up pieces of debris, launching them into the invisible attacker as a hiss of pain rang out. "Gotcha!" he grinned before, from his other hand, firing a bolt of bright-red lightning. Sparks flowed as a louder hiss rang out, a creature slowly fading into view as sparks flew from it.

Shaking its head, stunned by the hedgehog's attack, was a large dark-blue reptilian creature, two large crimson eyes lying on both sides of his head, pupils wide and a deep black, with a long curled tail sprouting from its hide. Claws dug into the roof as it tried to keep its balance before it glared at the hedgehog. "Huh... a chameleon Darkside... I swear that has been done before," the hedgehog quipped before shrugging, "no matter... today, you meet your match! I am TLSoulDude, the Ultima Master, at your service!" He held his hand up, launching debris at it again.

The beast snarled before swinging its tail, shattering the debris before it disappeared from the Ultima Master's view. "Dang it," TL deadpanned as he landed on the ground, "why couldn't I face a snake? Or a lizard? Or something VISI-" he began before he heard a loud roar right above him, paling as realization struck him. "...THIS... is gonna hurt like heck," he mumbled before a powerful weight slammed down onto him, sending him crashing through the roof and tumbling down until he crashed into a room, debris falling onto him as he groaned. "...And I was right..."

"TL!"

Debris was moved aside as a pale hand reached down to him. Groaning, TL took the hand as he forced himself out of the debris, looking up to face a teenage girl with long dark-brown hair, jade-green eyes focused on him, clad in her pajamas. "Oh... Phoenix..." TL weakly chuckled, "good morning. Don't mind me just... dropping in. Literally."

"TL, you fell through the ROOF," Phoenix pointed out firmly before hearing a loud hiss. "...What was that...?" she asked slowly.

"The same thing that sent me crashing into your room," TL deadpanned before looking around, "WOW, you have a lot of Kingdom Hearts memorabilia, don't-" He was instantly silence as something wrapped around him, invisible to his sight, and flung him up. "AH CRAP!" he yelled before taking aim down below as a growl rang out. Swiftly, he sent a blast of red lightning down, the blast hitting its face as it snarled in pain, shaking his head.

In a flash, Phoenix summoned a long pale-blue key-like sword, the guard and handle a white color, with a chain hanging from the bottom of the hilt, a heart-shaped keychain dangling at the bottom, with a strike-zone shaped like a star burst, a crescent-moon around it. Leaping up, she concentrated her energy, decreasing the gravitational pull on her body as she gained more height, before pulling her fist back. **"Gravity Punch!"** Shock-waves of pressure gathered around her fist before she slammed it into the area TL struck, a loud screech ringing out before the chameleon-like Darkside formed again, hissing before slamming its tail into Phoenix, sending her skidding back.

"Hey scales!" TL yelled, "you've got something in your face! Care to guess what it is?" he teased. The beast snarled darkly before noticing the hedgehog wiggling his finger, clicking his tongue in a mocking 'tut' sound. "Eh-eh!" he chirped like a buzzer, "I'm sorry, but 'Grr' was incorrect. The correct answer was... AN AURA ARM!" A large turquoise glowing arm of energy shot out, slamming into the creature's face as the sound of bone shattering rang out, before it flew backwards. "BOOYAH! Direct hit!"

"It's not over yet," Phoenix yelled as she leaped up, "NOW, it is my turn!" Her Keyblade flared to life before she swung forward, sending a wave of burning gold flames into the Darkside. **"KNIGHT FIRE!"** The Darkside screeched as it was set alight before Phoenix shot up, delivering a swift volley of slashes and blows into its stomach before landing beside TL as she watched the chameleon begin to fall with a grin of triumph... before its tongue shot out, wrapping around a nearby building, before it swung itself up in an arching formation before crashing down onto another rooftop. "...Oh great..."

TL entered a stance before aiming his hand at the Darkside as it snarled. "THAT... is not good," TL mumbled before the Darkside disappeared. A large invisible force swung into them seconds later, knocking them tumbling until they hung onto the edge by a hand, Phoenix's eyes widening as she felt herself beginning to slip away from the edge...

. . .

'_The Emperor is coming...'_

DarkPaladinmon was sat in his study, quietly reading a thick tome with a frown. 'What Emperor?' he asked himself, stroking his chin with a frown. '..._Well, whoever he is, these tomes aren't helping me at all. Add the fact Drake's been too quiet recently...'_ he thought before groaning, smacking his head with his palm. "There's got to be something in these books!" he exclaimed. Ever since his nightmare, he hadn't slept all night; focusing all his time on studying the strange return of MaliciousMagemon's spirit in his mind, as well as the strange words he left him with.

'_...Azazel... in that nightmare... he mentioned something about someone named 'Azazel'...'_ DarkPaladinmon thought as he continued to read._ 'Maybe... who am I kidding? That HAS to be who this 'Emperor' is! But... who's Azazel?' _the Author Fighter thought with a growl. A loud crash caught his attention as his head shot up, eyes widening before the door to his study was torn open in a flurry of dark-indigo fire. Looking up, his gaze narrowed before widening in horror...

Drake chuckled darkly, a familiar silver-haired woman being gripped by her throat as he held her above the ground before throwing her towards DarkPaladinmon. "You left your trash out again, DarkPaladinmon," he sneered, conjuring a long ebony-black blade in his grip, sparks flying from it. "No matter... I'll take care of it for you..."

"Hikari!" DarkPaladinmon exclaimed before gripping his staff, growling darkly, "Drake... you... you cowardly snake!" He aimed his staff at the Darkside and fired a large blast of magic at him, the Darkside hastily slicing through it. Drake's gaze narrowed before he noticed a cold glint to DarkPaladinmon's eyes, his brow deepening as he entered a stance. The woman, Hikari Ino, stirred as she pushed herself up, Drake walking past her towards DarkPaladinmon.

"Now that I have your undivided attention," Drake began casually before slamming his blade down, sending a shock-wave towards DarkPaladinmon. Hastily, DarkPaladinmon leaped over the shock-wave before aiming his staff, firing a blast of magic that Drake span his blade to cut through with ease. Swiftly, Drake dug his sword into the ground and performed a series of hand seals. **"Darkness Release: Black Inferno Technique!"** he yelled, slamming his hands down onto the ground before a large wave of black flames surged out from his palms towards DarkPaladinmon.

DarkPaladinmon's eyes widened before he slammed his staff into the ground hastily. "**Wall of Revealing Light!"** A large wall of glowing pale-green light formed in front of him, the flames ramming into the wall only to fade away instantly. Dismissing the wall, he swung his blade before sending a large wave of dark-purple energy. **"Diffusion Wave Motion!"** he yelled, the wave rushing into Drake, who pointed his fingers and fired five blasts of dark energy, the lasers hitting the large wave before the two attacks cancelled each other out.

"You're losing your touch," Drake sighed, shaking his head, before forming a spiraling black sphere of chakra, a large ring of pressure spinning around it, similarly to the rings of Saturn, before he pulled back his arm. "Spiraling... Fear... Ring!" he yelled, sending the sphere flying towards DarkPaladinmon. The Digimon's eyes widened in shock as he held his hand out to try and summon a barrier before the sphere slammed into him, an explosion of black chakra ripping out and sending him flying backwards, crashing into the wall and leaving a deep dent. "How the mighty has fallen... such a shame..." Drake commented with mock-disappointment as DarkPaladinmon fell down onto the ground, his fingers flaring to life with a dark-red fiery aura, "but..."

"I'll watch you burn!" Drake concluded as he ran forward towards DarkPaladinmon, whipping his hand back before pushing it forward, descending onto the fallen leader, "YOU'RE MINE!"

* * *

...Yeah... I apologize for the cliffhangers, but hey, they are kind of necessary writing tools. As much as some readers may hate them...

**Attack database:**

**Lunatic 121 -**

_- Rasengan:_ Japanese for 'Spiraling Sphere'. An A-rank ninjutsu technique created by the Fourth Hokage, the user concentrates chakra in the form of a spiraling sphere of energy in their palm before grinding it into the opponent; creating enough force to send an opponent flying back several feet or, if used to push downwards, tear a large crater into the ground. This technique comes from the manga/anime series Naruto and belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, not me.

_- Fire Release: Quill Cannon Technique:_ An unranked Fire Release ninjutsu technique created by Lunatic 121, Loony channels fire chakra into his spike-like hair before discharging needles of it, the chakra flow making them blade-like, at the opponent. This technique belongs to TLSoulDude and Lunatic 121, not me.

_- Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique:_ A C-rank Fire Release ninjutsu technique, a signature jutsu of the Uchiha clan, the user kneads chakra in their body, heating it up, before exhaling a large fireball at the opponent. It can also be used to produce a stream of fire. This technique comes from the manga/anime series Naruto and belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, not me.

_- Fire Release: Great Flame Rasengan:_ An S-rank Fire Release technique, said to have been created by the legendary Jiraiya of the Sannin, the user creates a Rasengan before breathing a layer of fire onto it, fusing the fire chakra into the Rasengan before grinding it into the opponent; pushing back the opponent before exploding into a burst of flame. This technique comes from the video game Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 and belongs to CyberCoinnect2, not me.

**Kitten Hachi-chan -**

_- Hyōtenka-kyū:_ Japanese for 'Subzero Sphere'. Through high concentrations of magical energy, the user compresses water vapor particles in the air before freezing them into a sphere of freezing cold energy. Once the sphere is formed, the user can either throw the sphere forward or propel themselves and slam the sphere into the opponent. Upon impact, the Hyōtenka-kyū forms a thick layer of ice around the opponent, the low temperatures freezing and crystallizing their blood, resulting in the victim freezing to death.

**TLSoulDude -**

_- Aura Arm:_ A projection of Imagination River energy (the energy exclusive to the world of Fictor, inherited by all Fictorians) in the form of a large arm, its strength on-par to ten body-builders capable of bone-shattering potential. This technique was created by TLSoulDude and does not belong to me.

**Phoenix of the Darkness -**

_- Gravity Punch:_ Through releasing kinetic energy, usually through a punch, the user builds up gravitational potential energy before releasing a shock wave of pressure; capable of pushing back an opponent or inflicting heavy damage externally and internally. This technique belongs to Phoenix of the Darkness and does not belong to me.

_- Knight Fire:_ A high-level fire-element spell, the user releases a blaze of golden fire, the flames being of a very high temperature and power level. This technique belongs to Phoenix of the Darkness and does not belong to me.

**DarkPaladinmon -**

_- Wall of Revealing Light:_ A high-level defensive spell, the user generates a large wall of a blindingly-bright energy capable of absorbing nearly any energy attack. The Wall of Revealing Light is based off of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card of the same name and belongs to Upper Deck Entertainment and Konami as well as Kazuki Takahashi, not me.

_- Diffusion Wave Motion:_ A high-level offensive spell, the user releases a wave of magical energy that covers a wide area; capable of hitting entire armies with a single hit. The Diffusion Wave Motion is based off of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card of the same name and belongs to Upper Deck Entertainment and Konami as well as Kazuki Takahashi, not me.

**Drake Ebon Darkstar -**

_- Darkness Release: Black Inferno Technique:_ An S-rank kinjutsu of the Darkness Release element, the user releases a blaze of black fire, temperatures similar to those of the Uchiha clan's Amaterasu, capable of combusting most substances it hits. The Darkness Release: Black Inferno Technique belongs to TLSoulDude, not me.

And this ends Part One of the battle! Part Two, things will start heating up and Drake's mysterious guardian will get involved in the fight at last... and expect to see a cameo from a certain Master of Mana next chapter and his solo team. (wink wink)

Until then, this is Lion's Edge signing off!


End file.
